1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates to formulations for neutralization of chemical, biological and industrial toxants.
2. Background
The present invention is directed to materials and methods for neutralization of toxic chemical, biological and industrial compounds or agents, especially chemical and biological weapons agents, and methods of making same. In particular, the present invention is directed to materials containing solubilizing compounds, reactive compounds and bleaching activators that can be delivered as foams, sprays, liquids, fogs and aerosols to enhance the rate of reactions leading to neutralization of chemical compounds, and other additives which serve to kill or attenuate certain biological compounds or agents.
Terrorist threats, potentially involving weapons of mass destruction, are increasing both in the United States and abroad. The use, and threat of use, of chemical and biological agents in the context of weapons of mass destruction are of paramount concern both to national defense as well as to state and local law enforcement.
Certain chemical warfare (“CW”) agents known to pose a threat by terrorists share chemical characteristics that present an opportunity for the development of countermeasures. The chemical agents sarin, soman, and tabun (G-agents) are all examples of phosphorus-containing compounds which, when altered chemically, can lose their toxicity. Mustard, which is an example of the H-agents, and VX, which is an example of the V-agents, can also be altered chemically and rendered harmless. In addition, certain of the known BW agents include botulinum toxin, anthrax and other spore-forming bacteria, vegetative bacteria, including plague and various viruses can also be deactivated chemically.
A CW or biological warfare (“BW”) attack can involve either local placement or wide dispersal of the agent or agents so as to affect a population of human individuals. Because of the flexibility with which CW and BW (“CBW”) agents can be deployed, respondents might encounter the agents in a variety of physical states including bulk, aerosol and vapors.
An effective, rapid, and safe (non-toxic and non-corrosive) decontamination technology is required for the restoration of civilian facilities in the event of a domestic terrorist attack. Ideally, this technology should be applicable to a variety of scenarios such as the decontamination of open, semi-enclosed, and enclosed facilities as well as sensitive equipment. Examples of types of facilities where the decontamination formulation may be utilized include a stadium (open), an underground subway station (semi-enclosed), and an airport terminal or office building (enclosed). A foaming version is useful for extending the contact time of the formulation on vertical surface.
Decontamination of chemical compounds have focused primarily on chemical warfare agents, particularly on the nerve agents (such as G agents and V agents) and on the blistering agents (such as mustard gas, or simply, mustard). Reactions involved in detoxification of chemical agents can be divided into substitution and oxidation reactions. Decontamination of biological agents is primarily focused on bacterial spores (e.g., anthrax), which are considered to be the most difficult of all microorganisms to kill. Additional background is discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,723,890 and 6,566,574.
A need also exists for rapid, safe, and effective neutralization of toxic industrial chemicals, such as Malathion, Hydrogen Cyanide, Sodium Cyanide, Butyl Isocyanate, Carbon Disulfide, and Phosgene gas.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,723,890 is related generally to an aqueous-based decontamination technology (“DF-100”) that rapidly neutralizes chemical and biological warfare (“CBW”) agents. The formulation:                is effective for neutralizing both chemical and biological agents;        is environmentally benign (i.e., non-toxic and non-corrosive);        works on a number of anticipated material surfaces; and        can be incorporated into a wide variety of carriers (e.g., foams, liquid sprays, fogs) that satisfy a wide variety of operational objectives.        
A major interest for the use of the technology was from the civilian first responder (e.g., fire departments, police departments, and HazMat units who would be the first to arrive at the scene of an attack utilizing CBW agents) followed by a secondary interest in use of the formulation for facility restoration. Technical issues exist with DF-100 that make use of the formulation by the civilian first responder less than optimal. These technical problems include: (1) The pH of the DF-100 must be adjusted to optimally decontaminate each specific chemical and biological agent. In other words, a different formulation may be required to neutralize each specific agent. Although it is relatively simple to adjust the pH of the formulation in the laboratory, this is more difficult in the field and is generally unsuitable for the primary users of the technology (i.e., the civilian first responder). (2) The reaction rate for one chemical agent, Mustard, is rather slow as compared to the reaction rates for other chemical agents.
These technical problems limit the effectiveness of DF-100 in actual use. A modified formulation, DF-100A, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,723,890, addressed the requirement to adjust the pH for each specific agent (i.e., the first technical problem described above). However, while DF-100A does improve upon the performance of the formulation at a single pH, it does not completely solve this problem, and does not even address the second technical problem (i.e., the relatively slow reaction rate with Mustard). Additionally, some versions of DP-100/100A can use short-chain alcohols (e.g., isobutanol, isopropanol), which can cause flammability problems if the formulation is packaged in a concentrated form. Also, some versions of DF-100/100A can use diethylene glycol monobutyl ether (DEGMBE), which can cause false alarms on some chemical agent sensors and detectors (especially older sensors that are used in some military settings).
As a point of comparison, the following is an example of a preferred formulation for DF-100: